The present invention generally relates to cleaners which may be employed to clean a variety of surfaces, without the need to use water for rinsing. More particularly, it relates to a new and improved spreadable gel cleaner composition for cleaning surfaces such as hands, upholstery or carpet which may be rubbed in a thin layer onto the surface to be cleaned and upon exposure to the air and continued rubbing, beads up into small soft particles capable of being brushed or wiped away thereby carrying dirt, oils and foreign matter with the gel particles away from the surface, much like "art-gum".
A variety of cleaning compositions commonly employ soaps or detergents in water to remove dirt or grease. For example, upholstery has been cleaned by foamable water-based surfactant systems. However, this method has the disadvantage that the wetting of the surface may drive the dirt further into the upholstery. Moreover, the cleansing agent must be given time to dry before it can be removed. In addition, water-based soaps for use on hands generally require the availability of a sink and water for rinsing off the soap and a towel, rag or cloth to dry.
Oil based cleaners which rely on emulsion action systems and emulsifying detergents are generally not completely successful in removing dirt from surfaces and most require water rinsing and towel drying for satisfactory removal.
Hand cleaners which may be used without the need for water for rinsing are known. In U.S. Pat. No. 2,548,383, for example, soya bean oil is combined with a petroleum solvent in order to convert the fatty oil to a solid colloidal form. A process for making an oil based composition is both timely and difficult. Accordingly, a need still exists for additional cleaners which can remove soils, grease and stains from a wide variety of surfaces without the need of water for rinsing and/or a towel for wiping or drying. The cleaner preferably is not oil based and will not leave an undesirable residue, but rather will leave a desirable micro-film layer of gel polymer which may or may not further include emollients or other additives.
In order to overcome the deficiencies of the prior art compositions, it is an object of the present invention to provide a new and improved cleaner composition which will bead up upon exposure to air and upon rubbing so that a water rinse or towel is unneeded.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a new and improved cleaner composition which may be used on many surfaces including hands, upholstery, carpet, and the like.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a new and improved rinse-free cleaner composition which may be used to remove many substances such as tar, ink, ballpoint pen ink, grease, pencil, carbon paper, fresh paint, fish odor, and animal husbandry odor simply by rubbing the cleaner on and continuing the rubbing until the cleaner together with the bound substance to be removed beads up and falls off like art-gum.
It is another object of the invention to provide a new and improved cleaner composition which may be used in many places where water is not readily available or where its use would be undesirable.
It is still a further object of the present invention to provide a new and improved composition comprising a film-like, germ-proof barrier which may be used as a temporary glove.